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Sense of Humor

Gassho everyone,

I have always tried to deal with all things in my adult life with humor. At least since my divorce 32 years ago.

It does no good to cry, so you might as well laugh. There's nothing so serious you can't laugh at it somehow. Are things I have tried to remember. At times others have looked down on me because of that view. When my mother died, I led the way in remembering some of the times my brother and sister and I made her so angry. In the end we could all laugh.

I have recently decided that my affinity for Buddhism may have come from this outlook. Suffering is universal and life is a miracle of a gift. Enjoy it all.

Re: Sense of Humor

Re: Sense of Humor

Originally Posted by mhoke46375

There's nothing so serious you can't laugh at it somehow.

Whenever I get into a situation where I am upset and can't laugh about it, that's an indication that the small mind has taken control and some focused awareness is necessary. I can't say it always immediately allows me to laugh, but it certainly takes the edge off the supposed crisis.

Re: Sense of Humor

Pardon my muse: Did the Buddha have a sense of humor? Seriously. Is there any evidence in all his words that people later recalled of him ever telling a joke? Ok, I'm gonna guess no on that. But maybe he showed other forms of humoristic sense. The historical Buddha and sense of humor just don't seem to fit for me, although I completely agree about the need and usefullness of having a sense of humor, but if you are so perfectly enlightened do you need a sense of humor anymore? Maybe once you can see through all the jokes there's no point in humor anymore. And if you realize it is all one big joke, is there any point in laughing?

Re: Sense of Humor

Originally Posted by AlanLa

Pardon my muse: Did the Buddha have a sense of humor? Seriously. Is there any evidence in all his words that people later recalled of him ever telling a joke? Ok, I'm gonna guess no on that. But maybe he showed other forms of humoristic sense. The historical Buddha and sense of humor just don't seem to fit for me, although I completely agree about the need and usefullness of having a sense of humor, but if you are so perfectly enlightened do you need a sense of humor anymore? Maybe once you can see through all the jokes there's no point in humor anymore. And if you realize it is all one big joke, is there any point in laughing?

Good morning friends,

Perhaps here it is appropriate to mention that Lord Buddha has, since the day of his parinibbana, been undergoing a process of deification: scrubbing away all the humanity, all that could connect him to normal deluded beings such as myself. Not unlike the Christian Jesus, I think. And it is sad that this happens; once the teacher becomes something more than human, becomes a God or something more, the teaching becomes useless.

What good does the teaching of Jesus do if He was God in a way that no other human could ever be? What good is Buddhism if the teacher is not human, is elevated to a realm above even the devas and Brahma? The line between the "human" Siddhartha Gotoma and the "superhuman" or "divine" Buddha is, I believe, non-extant. If there is a line separating humans and Buddhas, then humans cannot be Buddhas.

If humans can become Buddhas, if humans have the potential to become Buddhas, then there can be no separation. Just as there is never a point that the acorn is separate from the oak tree.

If humans laugh, surely Buddhas laugh. If humans cry, surely Buddhas cry. Buddhas are subject to old-age, illness, and death like the rest of us. To say that they are deadly serious is to say they're no longer human. Indeed, the common thread between all of my spiritual elders, regardless of tradition, is their ability to laugh. Laugh at happiness, laugh at sadness. Laugh with a compassionate heart.

Will a Buddha laugh at another's suffering? Perhaps not. Will the Buddha-laugh joyfully resonate as I walk the Path? Maybe so.

These are just my thoughts, nothing more. If I am mistaken, or if something I say offends, please correct me.

Re: Sense of Humor

Originally Posted by AlanLa

Pardon my muse: Did the Buddha have a sense of humor? Seriously. Is there any evidence in all his words that people later recalled of him ever telling a joke? Ok, I'm gonna guess no on that. But maybe he showed other forms of humoristic sense. The historical Buddha and sense of humor just don't seem to fit for me, although I completely agree about the need and usefullness of having a sense of humor, but if you are so perfectly enlightened do you need a sense of humor anymore? Maybe once you can see through all the jokes there's no point in humor anymore. And if you realize it is all one big joke, is there any point in laughing?

Whenever I have truly been in the moment, and I feel a small sense of awakening, the first thing I feel the urge to do is laugh for no reason. One time, I was on the bus, just riding and going with any imaginary stories what weaved in my mind, and some where in this flow something clicked and I felt suddenly alive and real. I just wanted to laugh. I was surrounded by all these strangers and I felt connected to them, and there was some kind of big joke they weren't getting...

Re: Sense of Humor

Originally Posted by AtomicSpud

Perhaps here it is appropriate to mention that Lord Buddha has, since the day of his parinibbana, been undergoing a process of deification: scrubbing away all the humanity, all that could connect him to normal deluded beings such as myself. Not unlike the Christian Jesus, I think. And it is sad that this happens; once the teacher becomes something more than human, becomes a God or something more, the teaching becomes useless.

...

If humans laugh, surely Buddhas laugh. If humans cry, surely Buddhas cry. Buddhas are subject to old-age, illness, and death like the rest of us. To say that they are deadly serious is to say they're no longer human. Indeed, the common thread between all of my spiritual elders, regardless of tradition, is their ability to laugh. Laugh at happiness, laugh at sadness. Laugh with a compassionate heart.

Yes, a little survey on the subject leaves the impression that Gautama Buddha was rendered in the Suttas as a pretty serious fellow. The most I could find in the way of humor attributed to him was, perhaps (folks may be reading between the lines here even to find this much humor) the odd pun or sarcasm here and there in otherwise very serious talks. Truly, it was the literary style of the day ... what was expected in the culture of a religious adept, and part of the process in which the Buddha was dipped in gold, put on a pedestal, divested of blemishes and stripped of much humanity.

Yes, I think Perry hits it on the head. It is all part of a process of "hagiography" ... I sometimes write ...

In my view, "Buddhas" are symbols for human potential. The historical Buddha was a human being. A Buddha or Ancestor (Jesus or any Saint in any religion) dies and ... century by century ... those in the religion (looking from afar at what those attainments actually were on the part of their "religious heroes" and with need to depict their power) start to imagine, fantasize and exaggerate the wonderful nature of the teacher and teaching into something super-human. What was merely "Great, Profound and Wonderful" must become "Mysterious, Wondrous and (often) Ridiculous". The result is called an "hagiography"

A hagiography is a biography, usually of a saint or saintly person, and usually written to idealize their life or justify their sainthood. In other words, a hagiography is usually a positive presentation of a life, rather than an objective or critical biography. When using a hagiography as a research source, the purpose and style must be taken into consideration, as the writer probably omitted negative information and exaggerated or even created positive information about the subject of the hagiography. Lives of the saints are typically hagiographies.

That does not mean that his teachings were not wondrous, that does not mean that there are not true miracles of liberation in this practice ... It just means that people may be looking for miracles afar when they are right before our eyes.

Yes, if humans laugh, surely Buddhas laugh. If humans cry, surely Buddhas cry. A good dose of humor manifests Wisdom about this world. And further ... "sadness and crying" are not "Dukkha" (suffereing) if we fully are at one with circumstances that are sometimes smiles sometime tears. Sadness is only "Dukkha" if one resists the sadness and circumstances in an effort to reject life.

Re: Sense of Humor

Three Zen monks decided to practice meditation together. The first monk asked, "Where do we want to sit today?" The second monk replied, "Well let's go out to sit today." The third monk inquired, "Why not 'virtually' sit with others in the Treeleaf Zen Hall?" The second monk looked at the first monk and asked, "Do you think we should tell him?" The first monk said, "The virtual thingy at Treeleaf doesn't work. Sometimes you see the others, a lot of sometimes you don't!" All three decided to go to the lake instead.

The Zen monks arrived at the lake, sat by the water's edge and closed their eyes in concentration. Then suddenly, the first one stood up and said, "I forgot my mat." He stepped miraculously onto the water in front of him and walked across the lake to their hut on the other side.
When he returned, the second monk stood up and said, "I forgot to put my other underwear out to dry." He too walked calmly across the water and returned the same way. The third monk watched the first two carefully in what he decided must be the test of his own abilities. "Is your learning so superior to mine? I can match any feat you two can perform," he declared loudly and rushed to the water's edge to walk across it. He promptly fell into the deep water.

Undeterred, the third monk climbed out of the water and tried again, only to sink into the water. Yet again he climbed out and yet again he tried, each time sinking into the water. This went on for some time as the other two monks watched.
After a while, the second monk turned to the first and said, "Do you think we should tell him where the stones are?"

Re: Sense of Humor

Marty i must agree with you. i admit i have not read all of the other comments but i did read a few of Jundo's Jokes ( i liked them i must show them to my fiancee ).
but what you wrote i dead on. especially the last part... about not forgetting to laugh and cry when one needs to.
that was wonderful. thank you.

Re: Sense of Humor

Hi.

Even though i'm a humble Ordained Zen Priest in Training, and not an authority of any sort, id like to say that a sense of humor is essential in our practice.
I wrote about this some time ago and i'll just copy paste something here

1. smile
Always have an smile on your lips.
This makes not only you having an positive mindset.
It also spreads like a disease to people around you, making more people having a smile/positive mindset making...

But as stated in the thread, laugh when laughing, cry when crying, but don't get hung up it.
Although i think you will find that you tend to, after a while, go for one side more than the other, i don't know why ...

Re: Sense of Humor

Originally Posted by AlanLa

Pardon my muse: Did the Buddha have a sense of humor? Seriously. Is there any evidence in all his words that people later recalled of him ever telling a joke? Ok, I'm gonna guess no on that. But maybe he showed other forms of humoristic sense. The historical Buddha and sense of humor just don't seem to fit for me, although I completely agree about the need and usefullness of having a sense of humor, but if you are so perfectly enlightened do you need a sense of humor anymore? Maybe once you can see through all the jokes there's no point in humor anymore. And if you realize it is all one big joke, is there any point in laughing?

I always thought the whole holding-up-a-flower thing was a bit of a private joke between the Buddha and his disciple. Mahakasyapa "got" it, and a legend was born.

Re: Sense of Humor

One day I asked my mother what she was making for dinner. She said she didn't know.
Later on, she walked in on me while I was meditating and asked:
"What do you have in mind?"
I dunno, it cracked me up.

Re: Sense of Humor

Originally Posted by Jundo

Yes, a little survey on the subject leaves the impression that Gautama Buddha was rendered in the Suttas as a pretty serious fellow. The most I could find in the way of humor attributed to him was, perhaps (folks may be reading between the lines here even to find this much humor) the odd pun or sarcasm here and there in otherwise very serious talks.

When I was in High School, we had a gentleman give a talk on Shakespeare. Much to our surprise he informed us that what we considered to be a great tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, was actually meant to be performed as a comedy. He then proceeded to demonstrate with the balcony scene.

Maybe it is not the words themselves that are serious or humorous, but the vocal performance we ascribe to the words.

Re: Sense of Humor

Originally Posted by Rev R

Originally Posted by Jundo

Yes, a little survey on the subject leaves the impression that Gautama Buddha was rendered in the Suttas as a pretty serious fellow. The most I could find in the way of humor attributed to him was, perhaps (folks may be reading between the lines here even to find this much humor) the odd pun or sarcasm here and there in otherwise very serious talks.

When I was in High School, we had a gentleman give a talk on Shakespeare. Much to our surprise he informed us that what we considered to be a great tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, was actually meant to be performed as a comedy. He then proceeded to demonstrate with the balcony scene.

Maybe it is not the words themselves that are serious or humorous, but the vocal performance we ascribe to the words.

That's actually a very popular technique in theatre to show actors how they can perform scenes from different perspectives. It's actual a very fun game; to act out famous scenes from plays and even movies where one or more of the characters has a very different demeanor than how it is traditionally portrayed. It is really quite surprising how much you can change a scene with exactly the same words but different body language and inflection. In a previous life as a theatre performer it was quite a fun activity to do yourself and to teach to others, especially kids who will really let loose and change something that adults see as set in stone!

Re: Sense of Humor

What a great thread to laugh and break the routine.

First things first: The Buddha was just a man. A very wise one, mind you. But all men are capable of laughing. Maybe the sense of humour at the time was not what it is to us now and maybe the social, cultural and political setting was radically different to what we live now. But I'm sure he had a good laugh from time to time, as every person does.

And about laughing from everything, yes I think it's a very important part of our practice. Not laughing like mad, of course, but being capable of seeing the humour on stuff is a great part of enjoying life and learning.